TYRESE Haliburton turned a 3-pointer into a tiebreaking, four-point play with 1:33 remaining as part of a triple-double and the Indiana Pacers outfinished the Boston Celtics for a 122-112 victory in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) in Indianapolis.
The result vaults Indiana into the Eastern finals of the event, which will be played Thursday night in Las Vegas. The winner of Tuesday’s (Wednesday in Manila) other Eastern semifinal between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks will join the Pacers in Las Vegas.
The Celtics will drop back into NBA regular-season action on Friday (Saturday) in Manila.
In the other game, Brandon Ingram recorded 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists and the New Orleans Pelicans advanced to the semifinals with a 127-117 knockout-round victory over the host Sacramento Kings.
Herbert Jones scored 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out for the third-seeded Pelicans. CJ McCollum had 17 points and Trey Murphy III added 16 points off the bench for New Orleans, which beat Sacramento for the third time this season.
The Pelicans will face either the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers or fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns in the semifinals in Las Vegas. The Lakers and Suns play their quarterfinal matchup in Los Angeles.
De’Aaron Fox scored 30 points and Domantas Sabonis recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the second-seeded Kings.
After a Jayson Tatum jumper produced the sixth and final tie of the fourth period with 1:57 remaining, Haliburton buried his game-changing shot at the shot-clock buzzer as he was being fouled by Jaylen Brown. Haliburton’s subsequent free throw put the Pacers up 109-105.
Indiana then put the game away by scoring the game’s next five points on a Buddy Hield 3-pointer and an Aaron Nesmith dunk, both assisted by Haliburton. Boston, meanwhile, missed three consecutive shots, including 3-point attempts by Tatum and Brown.
The Celtics held the upper hand for much of the first half before the Pacers, the NBA’s highest-scoring team, exploded for 37 points in the third period to go up 85-78. Haliburton had 12 of his team-high 26 points in the quarter, including two of Indiana’s six 3-pointers.
Boston drew even by the 6:07 mark of the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by Brown.
Overall, Haliburton shot 5-for-11 from 3-point range to account for a majority of his scoring for Indiana, which connected on 19 treys and outscored the visitors 57-36 from beyond the arc.
Malik Monk tallied 21 points off the bench, Keegan Murray scored 14 points and Kevin Huerter added 12 for Sacramento.
The Kings went 4-0 while winning West Group C before succumbing to the Pelicans. New Orleans won West Group B with a 3-1 mark.
The Pelicans shot 54 percent from the field and made 14 of 31 (45.2 percent) from 3-point range. Zion Williamson had 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals for New Orleans.
Sacramento made 44.7 percent of its shots, including 14 of 41 (34.1 percent) from behind the arc.
Valanciunas scored in the interior, Murphy buried a 3-pointer and Ingram and Jones each made two free throws during a 9-0 burst as New Orleans took a 120-105 lead with 3:33 left in the game.
